The vision of the social studies standards is one that fosters, for all students, the ability to
understand their world and to have an appreciation for the heritage of America with a high
degree of literacy in civics, history, economics and geography. In achieving this vision, students
must:
- Acquire a basic understanding and appreciation of American traditions and values based
on knowledge of history and of the development and functioning of the American
constitutional system of government;
- Develop critical thinking skills which enable them to function as lifelong learners and to
examine and evaluate issues of importance to all Americans;
- Acquire basic literacy in the core disciplines of social studies and have the basic
understandings needed to apply this knowledge to their lives as citizens;
- Understand world history as the context for United States history and as a record of the
great civilizations and cultures of the past and present; and
- Participate in activities that enhance the common good and increase the general welfare.
In order to assist students to reach this vision, school district programs must:
- Embrace the idea that all students can learn at high levels;
- Promote the teaching of critical thinking but also include appropriate content knowledge;
- Value the needs of students as key elements in instructional planning;
- Include the full spectrum of social studies including civics, world history, United States
and New Jersey history, economics, and geography;
- Provide adequate resources to all classrooms; and
- Connect curriculum and instruction to assessment through the use of both traditional
objective tests and performance assessments.
The teaching of the standards and indicators should be approached through the various social
science and human perspectives. This enables students to appreciate the complexities of social
and historical issues.
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